Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Reading a National Geo post today - "The birth of a Przewalski's horse—the first in the world to be born via artificial insemination—is giving the once decimated species new hope. The filly was born July 27 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute(SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia." link, I'm reminded of the time some 30 or so years ago when Canada gave a small herd of young muskoxen to the Russians to help them start replacing the animals that had been eliminated there by overhunting.I remember how cold it was around midnight on the tarmac of Dorval Airport while we both declined to sign voluminous Russian paperwork that had little or no meaning to us and demanded guarantees we were completely incapable of providing. I remember also the great consternation of the Russians when Canadian television cameramen followed the animals into the bowels of an immense Russian transport aircraft as the crated animals were loaded by forklift. Never did know what they were so concerned that someone might see in there.The animals and the gesture got good publicity in Canada - must wonder how the Russian herd is doing today. Be an interesting story to follow up.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Links

The Wolf Grove

The Wolf Grove where we live is a large, wild area of Eastern Ontario, an hour from Ottawa, the nation's capital .

On the edge of the Canadian Shield, the Grove is a high, rolling region of granite and limestone ridges, extensive beaverponds and waterways, with many whitetail deer, black bears, predator animals, fur bearers and game. Coyotes and fisher abound. Wolves and moose drift in from Algonquin Park to the north. Cougar tracks can be found - one day soon our trail cameras will provide the definitive proof.

It's a great place to live for a photographer of natural history and outdoor enthusiast.